Out with the Old, in with the New: Why You Should Electronically File 1099s and W-2s in 2018

With 2017 in the rear-view mirror, now is the perfect time to set your sights on some meaningful business upgrades in the new year. Take the mandatory filing of 1099s and W-2s. If you’re still doing it by hand with paper forms, you’re missing out on some important advantages only electronic tax filing can provide. In today’s increasingly digital and fast-paced world, more and more businesses are filing taxes online – and saving valuable time and money by making the switch.

Gain an Edge with Online Filing

Especially in the past five years, the demand for paper tax forms has declined, while cloud-based preparation and electronic filing continues to grow. Small businesses are interested in a smarter and faster alternative … and partnering with a reputable e-file provider is the answer.

With all the responsibilities businesses must juggle, it’s no wonder electronic filing is on the rise. According to Entrepreneur:

“Entrepreneurs have long seen outsourcing as a strategy reserved for big business, but technology has made it a more accessible tool for small businesses -- and for some small firms, outsourcing has made a powerful impact on their growth, productivity and bottom lines.”

Are you ready to put paper in the past – and give e-filing a try? Here’s what you can expect:

Convenience Instead of navigating software or managing mountains of paperwork, you follow a few easy, step-by-step prompts when filing online. The process is clear, simple and quicker than traditional paper filing. It's more environmentally friendly, too, thanks to less paper and toner cartridge use.

Affordability When you do the math, you'll find that online filing is much more affordable than purchasing software and stocking forms. (No more purchasing a 50-form packet for the handful of forms your business needs.) You pay only for the number of forms you file, even if it's only one or two. As a complete solution, e-filing also eliminates the expense of printing and mailing preprinted forms.

Less work In addition to the dollars and cents impact of paper filing, there are the labor costs to consider. Because e-filing is a highly streamlined and efficient process, you save valuable staff time and output associated with printing, mailing and manually submitting 1099s and W-2s. No printer jams or stuffing envelopes! Plus, most e-file providers compile the summary data required on forms 1096 and W-3 and transmit it along with your forms at no additional cost.

State-of-the-art security Data you enter on a reputable e-file site is encrypted under strict IRS guidelines. For any forms that need to be mailed, form data is transmitted directly to an IRS-authorized and SOC-certified print-and-mail facility.

Flexibility Say goodbye to frustrating misalignment issues with your printer or paper jams. Online 1099s and W-2s look just like the paper forms from the IRS, where you select the payer and recipient from the drop-down lists and fill in the required "boxes." If you're missing information, you can save partially completed forms in your account and return later to complete and file them.

Accuracy In addition to the numerous prompts that ensure compliance with the latest tax rules, e-file sites do the complicated calculations. Data entry errors are caught, and mistakes are prevented. In fact, the IRS considers e-file returns to be virtually error-proof.

Ongoing communicationOnline filers appreciate the regular communication during the e-file process, including email notifications when the IRS and/or SSA receives filings. Plus, you can check the status of a specific filing any time, any where.

Check out efile4Biz.com for All These Advantages … and More

Put it all together and you’re looking at a smarter, more efficient way to manage 1099s and W-2s. This year, pitch the paper and move your annual tax reporting to the cloud with efile4Biz.com. Just enter or upload the form data to the secure website, which is integrated with QuickBooks® and Xero™ and supports Excel uploads) – and they will print, mail and e-file your forms with the IRS or SSA for one low price per form. There’s never any software to install or paper forms to complete.

For a limited time, use the coupon code BBFree518 at checkout and you’ll receive 5 free filings (e-file, print and mail) – a retail value of $22.50.